SK Gaming made up for lost ground in the spring and won the Prime League for the first time. The Cologne-based team achieved the perfect revenge in the final of the Summer Split – preventing the “three-peat”.
“When it became the Unicorns, I immediately had a fire in me. Because I remembered how it felt to lose 2:3 against them,” said SK top laner Janik ‘JNX’ Bartels before the final. The sting of the bitter defeat in spring was still deep. The challenger approached the last duel of the Summer Split in the Prime League with corresponding motivation. SK Gaming Prime was determined to take revenge for the missed title in April.
At no point during the season did the Cologne-based organisation leave any doubt that this gaffe could be wiped out. They finished the regular season in first place and then beat Eintracht Spandau 3-0 in the second round of the play-offs. But as superior as SK Gaming had been up to the final, the Unicorns of Love, who had recently won two championship titles in a row, were waiting at the end.
The Unicorns had reached the final by beating Spandau 3:1 in the semi-final. Their bot laner Johannes ‘Fun K3y’ Werner was also voted MVP of the Summer Split. The Unicorns were not favourites before the final, but they were certainly to be reckoned with in their home city of Hamburg. The prospect of a three-peat after the spring of 2023 and the summer of 2022 was probably enough incentive, but it was to be a debacle.
SK dominate at will – ‘Keduii’ sole record holder
There was no suspense in the final: SK Gaming secured the first match in dominant fashion. In the second match, too, the Cologne team was able to register considerable advantages early on. Although the Unicorns got the Baron after 35 minutes, they still had to admit defeat shortly afterwards. The last exclamation mark in game three also marked the final score of 3:0. The revenge turned into a demonstration of power – and gave SK sporting satisfaction.
Their bot laner Tim ‘Keduii’ Willers is once again the sole record holder in the Prime League. After the last spring split, he had to share this title with Unicorns coach Fabian ‘Sheepy’ Mallant. His third triumph, however, means that he has recaptured the undisputed top spot – his first two successes, by the way, were with BIG in 2021.
Thanks to their participation in the final, both SK Gaming and the Unicorns are qualified for the main event of the EMEA Masters. The LoL European Championship will open on 21 August with the start of the group phase. 16 teams from national leagues across Europe will compete to take home the lion’s share of the €150,000 prize money. For the players, it is also an opportunity to recommend themselves for a place in an LEC squad.
